PDC Q School 2012 Review, by The Suit

Posted on January 23rd, 2012

See The Suits Q School Preview here.

Q School, the Review

After an attritional 4 days in Barnsley, congratulations to all those who have claimed a PDC tour card, whether the 16 automatic or the additional 24 from the order of merit.

The huge interest and increased attendance in this years event was more than justified, winning a card has even been compared to winning a major! The scoring system was improved and the removal of any advantage/disadvantage for a bye seemed to prove a success. Securing early victories was paramount though as points were only awarded from round 3 onwards! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Lets Play Knockout Darts, PDC Darts, PDC Qualifying School, Q School 2012, Q School Review
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Ones to Watch in 2012, by The Suit

Posted on January 18th, 2012

Well with the World Championships over and preparations under way for the 2012 PDC season, and Q School for newcomers, we at Let’s Play Knockout Darts thought it is perhaps the ideal time to have look at a few players to watch out for in 2012.

There will be many questions asked and answered over the next 12 months or so, will Kim Huybrechts and Dave Chiznall keep up their superb starts to  life in the PDC? Who from the 2010/2011 entries will kick on like Justin Pipe has done from the 2009 intake? Which youth player will step up to senior level without delay, who from the Q school will make an impact and who will be the surprise package in 2012? Lets see if we can have a look at the likely candidates and answer a few of those queries……

Ian `Diamond’ White

The Diamond could be very impressive in 2012, after all it is the Queens Diamond Jubilee!, this will be the first year when Ian is able to play darts and relax and his ability should shine through. His late start in 2010 and a highly pressured year last year, with the usual financial worries and additional health and other distractions, meant that only in the final quarter last year ( &  in the UK Open qualifiers) have the true skills of Ian been on display. He has a superb talent that we see close up week in week out and it cannot be hidden for much longer! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Andrew Guilding, Johnny Haines, Pete Hughes
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The Suit Looks Forward to Q School 2012

Posted on January 17th, 2012

Q School 2012 a Preview by The Suit

Well after the success of Q School graduates from 2011, interest in 2012 seems to have exploded and perhaps we should not be surprised. These are interesting times in Pro Darts and with the recent upheaval in the BDO, and players like Mark Hylton or James Richardson proof that you don’t need a huge pedigree to make it. This may be the year for any aspiring players to make their mark.

We at Let’s Play Knockout Darts had a strong interest in last years Q School and therefore paid close attention to the whole process, it was superb to watch and genuinely gripping. However it was quite traumatic at times with friends having to knock each other out, and those with huge amounts at stake suffering in front of our eyes.

Luckily one of the key sources of contention last year, the zero points for a bye scenario, is being removed, so it will just be down to the best 4 players each day and the numbers of cards available in the order of merit list. Points are achieved by winning legs, (1 point per leg) and the remaining cards are awarded to the highest placed players on the ranking list. Also, with the increase in field size, the number of friend v friend games may also be reduced.

As many as 36 cards are expected to be given out this year which is one in every four or five entries, therefore for those not reaching semi-final spots and achieving automatic cards, it will be vital to pinch every leg each day, to increase the chance of a high finishing place on the Q School order of merit.

We noticed last year that although a very friendly and open competition, there were a lot of very distinct groups participating and the same is true of this year’s list. Let’s have a look at a few. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Lets Play Knockout Darts, PDC Darts, Q School 2012
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The Class of 2010 Part 4: Ally Pally 2012 & End of Term Report, by Callum Harris

Posted on January 15th, 2012

By Callum Harris, Missed Previous articles? Click here

Impressively, all six of the 2010 alumni qualified for the 2012 World Championships. Each player has so far stated their case and shown evidence that they can make an impact on the PDC rankings.

Nigel Heydon led the defending World Champion, Adrian Lewis, two sets to nil and was only pipped in a last leg decider.

Ian White pushed Rob Thornton all the way but went down 3-1 to ‘The Thorn’ who has made a habit of removing the 2010 boys from their debut World Championship!

Mark Hylton featured in one of the best games of the first round against the rapid fire Dutch Destroyer, losing to Vincent van de Voort in a last set decider.

Antonio Alcinas lost another thriller to The Hammer, Andy Hamilton, to leave just two of the Class of 2010 standing at the Ally Pally. Hamilton went on to reach the final, losing to Adrian Lewis.

Scott Rand enjoyed a cool debut as he whitewashed The Pieman, Andy Smith. A second round tussle with Colin Lloyd saw Cool Hand start favourite against the former world number one; further evidence of the progress that Class of 2010 have made. However, it was not to be this year as Jaws ruined Rand’s first match as a professional, dumping him out of the tournament.

Steve Farmer’s master plan of laying low and coming on strong at the end of the season appeared to have worked to a tee. Farmer defeated Ronnie Baxter in round one and qualifier Kevin Munch in round two to reach a last 16 dust up with James Wade which proved a bridge too far, Farmer losing out to The Machine.

This made Farmer the most successful of the bunch at Ally Pally 2012, a tournament that saw all players put up a good fight and Scott Rand make the decision to give up the lorry driving and become a full time darts pro.

2011 Summary

• PDC Ranking Position: Hylton 33 (up 21 places from 2010) | Farmer 36 (14) | Rand 41 (58) | Heydon 43 (12) | Alcinas 51 (20) | White 54 (35)

• Pro Tour Results: Wins – 0 | Runner Up – 2 | Semi Final – 6 | Quarter Final – 14 | Last 16 – 22

Majors:

• Player Championship Finals (2010) – 1 Qualified (1 x Semi)

• UK Open – 5 Qualified (1 x Qtr, 1 x L64, 1 x L96, 2 x L160)

• World Matchplay – 2 Qualified (2 x L32)

• European Championship – 1 Qualified (1 x L32)

• World Grand Prix – 1 Qualified (1 x Qtr)

• Players Championship Finals (2011) – 2 Qualified (1 x Semi, 1 x L32)

• World Championships – 6 Qualified (1 xL16, 1 x L32, 4 x L64)

Part 5 – End of Term Report

So here we are after almost two full seasons. The progress of the Class of 2010 is there for all to see. All six players are in, or around, the top fifty in the PDC Order of Merit. Mark Hylton is one place outside the top 32 and three others are within striking distance; all are going in the right direction, some quite quickly.

One member of the class has won a floor event and three more have been to Pro Tour finals. Two have been to a semi final and one has made a brace of quarter final appearances at the PDC’s blue riband events.

The entire class have performed admirably against the best of their peers, both on TV and away from the cameras. Between them they have represented the class of 2010 at every PDC event in the last two years (with the exception of the Premier League & Championship League of Darts).

It is an impressive litany of success and to do it within the first two years of joining the PDC is remarkable. Somewhat surprisingly they have stayed under the radar for most part due to the arrival in 2011 of some more famous faces – Dave Chisnall and John Henderson for example.

There is another reason why the Class of 2010 deserve huge credit for the impression they have made on the PDC. I have been told separately, and by the players themselves, that a number of other players from unheralded backgrounds (players such as Mick Todd, Matt Edgar & youngsters like Adam Smith-Neale) took huge inspiration to enter the PDC based on the exploits of the Class of 2010.

Todd, Edgar, and the like played with and against players such as Rand and Heydon in the amateur arena and took the plunge at the PDC Qualifying School at the start of 2011 others were spurred on by the thought “if bloody Mark Hylton can get that far, I could do even better!”

Players such as John Henderson, Dave Chisnall and Brian Woods all followed Ian White after seeking Diamond’s advice, inspired by his success.

If more evidence were needed of the inspiration provided by the Class of 2010, look no further than the year James Richardson has had. It has been a year almost identical to the one Mark Hylton enjoyed in 2010 and a year that bubbled to the surface with his spectacular trouncing of Raymond van Barneveld at the 2012 World Championship.

Due to a number of changes that have taken place with the qualifying criteria (with more in the pipeline) it will be difficult for new players to make such an impact in future years. I believe that the Class of 2010 will go from strength to strength and will come to be regarded as a unique group.

Six guys with little or no top level experience who had only twelve months to secure tour cards and only another year to break into the Order of Merit top 64. All six achieved both targets and have shaken up the comfortable world of professional darts, inspiring others to do the same along the way.

Will any other intake compare to the Class of 2010?

By Callum Harris, Missed Previous articles? Click here

Tags: Antonio Alcinas, Ian White, Mark Hylton, Nigel Heydon, PDC Pro Tour, PDPA, Scott Rand, Steve Farmer
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The Class of 2010 Part 3: 2011 – The Difficult Second Year, by Callum Harris

Posted on January 11th, 2012

By Callum Harris, Missed Parts 1 & 2? Click here

Part 3 – 2011 The Difficult Second Year

Just like that difficult second album year two would see the honeymoon over but all the Class of 2010 started steadily in the Pro Tour events.

The first major of 2011 was the Players Championship Finals and following his first round exit from the World Championships Steve Farmer had said to me “enough of this first round s**t, that’s the last of them!”

And he was not wrong. A superb run saw the 2010 debutant reach the semi finals in fine style with wins over Mark Walsh, Colin Osborne and Colin Lloyd. An in-form Gary Anderson proved too strong in the semi final with a 10-7 victory but Farmer had shown what he was capable of and was hungry for more.

Back on the Pro Tour Scott Rand was making his presence felt with two quarter finals, a semi final and three last 16 appearances in the first couple of months. Some huge scalps had been taken along the way and `Cool Hand’ was showing just how good a player he was and was well positioned for the upcoming majors.

Ian White had a great start to 2011, qualifying for the UK Open and reaching a Pro Tour final along the way.

Antonio Alcinas had started with an even bigger bang getting to a Pro Tour final on the first weekend, in Germany, thus also being right in the mix for major tournament qualification.

Following his sterling efforts at the World Championships, Mark Hylton had begun 2011 in steady fashion and had himself qualified for the UK Open. Then one May weekend in Austria Hylton exploded into form, reaching a quarter final and a semi final on consecutive days, moving him into pole position in the Players Championship Order of Merit. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Antonio Alcinas, Ian White, Mark Hylton, Nigel Heydon, PDC Pro Tour, PDPA, Scott Rand, Steve Farmer
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Lakeside 2012 – A Preview By Phil Haigh

Posted on January 6th, 2012

The 2012 Lakeside World Championship kicks off in style on Saturday afternoon with 16 players taking to the famous stage in eight matches, including defending champion Martin Adams who is looking to make it three titles in a row as he begins his defence against Scott Mitchell.

Wolfie is bidding to become only the second man after Eric Bristow to win three consecutive BDO World Championships and is joint favourite with the bookies to win the fourth World title of his illustrious career.

The England captain will have to navigate his way round Mitchell though, who despite being handed arguably the toughest opening match possible, was absolutely thrilled with the draw.

“I watched the draw live on ESPN at home,” Scotty Dog explained, “Up came Ron (Meulenkamp) first at number 16 seed, then Martin (Adams) as number one seed up next and I was shouting at the tv pick me, pick me, pick me and them out I came. I was running round the room punching the air.

“It will be an honour to play him on such a big world stage.  When I told my Dad I had drawn Martin he said: “Oh no. You’re gonna have to get back next year to get the first round hoodoo out the way then”. Nothing like a bit of family confidence to back you up. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: BDO World Championship Preview, Dean Winstanley, Lakeside 2012, Martin Adams, Ted Hankey
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New World Order – The Winners and Losers from the World Championships

Posted on January 5th, 2012

As the PDC board select the competitors for this year’s Premier League, the fallout from the sensational 2012 World Championships is complete and whilst some will still be celebrating, others will be looking back at the tournament with nothing but regret.

The Winners

Andy Hamilton

Coming into the competition as a 200/1 outsider may have been a little harsh on a player as consistent as the Hammer, but considering he was in the same quarter as Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld next to no one gave him a chance of improving on his previous best performance of the semi-finals.  However, Hamilton proved all the doubters wrong and battled his way to the final of the competition.  This is reward alone, but throw a cheque for £100,000 and a subsequent place in the Premier League into the equation and you are left with a very happy Hammer.

Dave Chisnall

Chizzy Rascal may not have reached the latter stages of the tournament, but he did something that has truly put him on the darting map – beat Phil Taylor.  Chisnall’s debut in the PDC World Championships couldn’t have dealt him a tougher second round draw but he prevailed with a resounding 4-1 victory and became the first man to turn off the Power at such an early stage since Kevin Spiolek in 1993.  Crucially, the £15,000 he picked up also took him into the coveted top 32 for the first time. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Andy Hamilton, Kevin Painter, Paul Nicholson, PDC World Championship 2012, Phil Haigh, Premier League Darts 2012, Simon Whitlock
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The Class of 2010 Part 2: The Debut Year, by Callum Harris

Posted on January 4th, 2012

By Callum Harris, Missed Part 1? Click here

Part 2 – The Debut Year

The new boys announced their arrival with Nigel Heydon reaching a semi final during his first weekend of competitions and taking out a range of famous names along the way.

Alcinas reached a quarter final, steadily picking up valuable prize money for the European Order of Merit and the European Championships later in the year.

The rest began in mixed fashion – Farmer plodded steadily toward the UK Open but did not trouble the Pro Tour events.

Hylton struggled to come to terms with playing players who had inspired him, players he had only watched on TV. He failed to qualify for the first major of the year, the UK Open.

Farmer departed at the last 96 stage so it was left to Nigel Heydon to fly the flag for the newcomers. And fly it he did with a fine run to the last 16 that included a victory over 2005 World Championship finalist, Mark Dudbridge. It was a decent start for the trailblazers but yet to set the world on fire.

It wasn’t long before we saw signs of the newcomers really starting to settle into the challenge. Scott Rand & Ian White were now on board while Farmer and Hylton were beginning to show signs of what they could do. A sprinkling of impressive victories over players such as Colin Osborne, Andrew Hamilton, Kevin Painter and Jamie Caven backed this up.

The annual jaunt to Las Vegas proved a turning point for Hylton who secured some important victories earning him valuable prize money to get his campaign going.

Nigel Heydon twice battled gamely against Phil Taylor knowing victory would secure a dream place at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. Although The Undertaker was not successful, Taylor was given a scare and notice had been served.

Scott Rand was now beginning to make an impact, already earning over £2000 on the Pro Tour. Ian White had also got into his stride and had already reached the last 16 of a Pro Tour event. Despite no appearance at the World Matchplay, the newcomers were represented by Antonio Alcinas at the European Championships, having qualified via the European Order of Merit.

Mark Hylton was the only traveller to Australia for the sole Players Championship event. Mile High sensationally reached the final where he was defeated by former World Champion, Dennis Priestley. Things were looking good for the boys of 2010.

The following month saw the Class of 2010 move up a gear. Steve Farmer reached a Pro Tour final and then superbly won an event several weeks later while Ian White reached a semi final shortly after. This secured Farmer a place at The World Grand Prix in Dublin where a scrappy first round loss to Steve Brown would be an important milestone on Farmer’s steep learning curve.

Nigel Heydon had evened out but was steadily improving while Ian White was homing in on an Ally Pally World Championship place.

In November it was Mark Hylton’s turn to come to the TV party. He won through to the Grand Slam of Darts, via the wildcard qualifier, where, in the final match, he reversed his previous defeat by Dennis Priestley. In a Group of Death that included Gary Anderson, Mark Webster and Wayne Jones, Hylton bowed out at the group stage but his valiant performances had left their mark and given a glimpse of better to come from the former airline cabin manager.

At the end of the 2010 season Heydon, Farmer, Alcinas & Hylton had qualified for the World Championships, while Ian White had missed his chance of entering the record books by a single place. Scott Rand’s late start to the season meant that he would have to wait until the end of 2011 for his chance of a crack at the World Championship.

All of the newcomers automatically retained their tour cards for the 2011/12 season so, with next year safely in the bag, who would impress on the biggest stage of all?

Steve Farmer was the first to make his appearance on the Ally Pally stage and despite a late rally he went down tamely to The Asset, Paul Nicholson.

Nigel Heydon got off to a bad start and despite his best effort was shaded in round one by Robert Thornton.

Antonio Alcinas had drawn the short straw and despite some great legs succumbed 3-0 to James Wade.

Having got off to the slowest start in 2010 it was Mark Hylton who was finishing the season the strongest and he continued this in London by defeating Steve Beaton in round one and Colin Lloyd in round two. By the time he went into his last 16 clash with Mark Webster, Hylton had hit the most 180’s in the tournament but couldn’t get past the Welshman who went on to beat Phil Taylor in the next round.

So the class of 2010 had started well – one Pro Tour win, one runner up, 3 semi finals and a smattering of quarter finals was a decent haul for year one. Mark Hylton & Nigel Heydon had reached the last 16 of two major tournaments while Steve Farmer still had one major to go at having qualified for the Player Championship Finals.

Three of the guys were deservedly on the short list for the PDC’s 2010 Newcomer of the Year award and Mark Hylton’s World Championship performance ensured he claimed the trophy to join the exclusive newcomer’s club.

 2010 Summary

PDC Ranking Position: Farmer 50 | Hylton 54 | Heydon 55 | Alcinas 71 | White 89 | Rand 97

Pro Tour Results: Wins – 1 | Runner Up – 2 | Semi Final – 3 | Quarter Final – 5 | Last 16 – 16

Majors:

UK Open – 3 Qualified (1 x L16)
World Matchplay – 0

European Championship 1 (1 x L32)

World Grand Prix – 1 (1 x L32)

Grand Slam – 1 (1 x L32)

World Championships – 4 (3 x L64 + 1 x L16)

In part 3, Callum looks at the difficult second year……..

Missed Part 1? Click here

Tags: Antonio Alcinas, Ian White, Mark Hylton, Nigel Heydon, PDC Pro Tour, PDPA, Scott Rand, Steve Farmer
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The Class of 2010 Part 1, by Callum Harris

Posted on January 2nd, 2012

By Callum Harris

Part 1 – The Class of 2010

For some time now it has seemed to me that the 2010 intake of new PDPA members was something rather special. I can be accused of bias, due to one of that intake being my friend, Mark ‘Mile High’ Hylton, but a look at the tale behind the scenes will confirm that this was a special moment for professional darts.

As we come to the end of their second season it seems an appropriate time to review the story of `The Boys of 2010’.

In the Birmingham area in late 2009 a remarkable coincidence took place; in an area of the city a new darting venture under the banner `This is Darts’ was looking for players to support its effort to create a new darts brand.

The players selected were chosen by one of their number, Ian McFarlane, and included the strongest and most consistent local performers in what was a hotbed of quality amateur competition.

Recommended were Nigel Heydon, Tony Randall, Trevor Frost, Mark Hylton, and, a little later, Scott Rand. All except Mark Hylton were given the opportunity to play PDC darts that year by the `This is Darts’ initiative.

On the other side of the city an amateur player/enthusiast had been watching Mark Hylton for a year whilst also studying what it would take to succeed in the PDC. Following an initial discussion it was decided he would become Hylton’s manager rather than supporter.

And so, the Birmingham branch of the 2010 intake was formed, consisting of players based in Staffordshire and Leamington Spa as well as the second city itself.

Forty miles away another player was deciding to make the leap from rising BDO star to PDC newcomer. Telford’s Steve Farmer made the tough decision to leave his comfort zone and cross into what some describe as the shark pool of PDC organised tour events.

Despite being well known as a quality thrower Steve had not won a significant BDO event nor had consistent business end results. However showing great courage in backing himself Steve joined the class of 2010 with many people quietly thinking that he could do well.

Meanwhile in Stoke-on-Trent a forgotten man was weighing up a big move from BDO to PDC. Despite a couple of outstanding seasons in the BDO, with several tournament wins, as well as pairs triumphs, the frustration of an early exit from the Lakeside Championship had seen him start 2010 still a BDO player.

With the support of a number of illustrious PDC names, and a determination to make darts his living, Ian ‘Diamond’ White finally made the decision to join the PDC and attempt to become one of a select few to play both World Championships in a calendar year.

With three months of the season already gone, our final member of the Class of 2010 would be playing catch up from the start.

As the UK contingent of the class of 2010 prepared for their debut events in Gibraltar another equally remarkable assault was being planned on the holiday isle of Mallorca. 32 year old Antonio Alcinas, a relatively unknown Spaniard who’s best result was reaching the last 64 of the 2005 Winmau World Masters, was preparing for his entry into the fray.

In 2009 ‘El Dartador’ had discovered a renewed passion for the game and the belief that he could make an impact on the big stage. The vagaries of the PDC system meant that his European passport gave him the irresistible opportunity and winning the Spanish National title filled Alcinas with confidence.

This confidence was borne out later,with a run to the semi finals of the PDC World Cup that included a victory over Gary Anderson inspired Scotland and only ended at the hands of eventual winners, Holland. Antonio Alcinas had arrived.

So there we have it, the new intake that would play with intent over that year: Heydon, Hylton, Farmer, Rand and White, with Alcinas representing Europe. How would they fare?

Part 2 of Callum’s article will be published shortly……..

Tags: Antonio Alcinas, Ian White, Mark Hylton, Nigel Heydon, PDC Pro Tour, PDPA, Scott Rand, Steve Farmer, This is darts, Tony Randall, Trevor Frost
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Crowd Issues Provide Easy Excuse For Misfiring Players

Posted on December 15th, 2011

After what was a hugely entertaining Players Championship Finals, with big finishes a plenty and shock results generously sprinkled over the competition, there has been an issue that has left a bitter taste in the mouth of some of the bigger name players.

The two highest ranked, and widely recognised men in the tournament, Phil Taylor and James Wade both went out of the competition surprisingly early, and both have put their premature exits down to issues with the crowd and with their opponents over-celebrating.

These issues, especially that of crowd noise, could potentially be genuine reasons for poor performance, but in this case it just seems that the toys are being thrown out of the pram more than anything else. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Crowds, James Wade, Justin Pipe, Mark Webster, PDC Darts, Phil Haigh, Phil Taylor, Players Championship Finals, Scott Rand, World Championship
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